Baltimore Ravens' Tom Zbikowski To Fight With Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga

Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski is expected to fight a four-round bout as a cruiserweight on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga ticket next Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Zbikowski, 25, a two-time third-team AP All American at Notre Dame, who was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 draft, will step into the squared circle for the second time as a professional—provided NFL owners imminently lock out players to secure a new collective bargaining agreement.

"He's coming back to boxing, assuming there's a lockout," Carl Moretti of promoter Top Rank told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "If there's a lockout, at that point, he's free to go ahead and fight. He's fought once already and he probably has the most extensive amateur (boxing) background of any pro football player, and he really loves the sport."

Zbikowski, who compiled a 75-15 record as an amateur pugilist, knocked a slouch named Robert Bell onto Queer Street in a mere 49 seconds in his debut as a prizefighter at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2006.

The Irish standout weighed 214 pounds and fought as a heavyweight when he overwhelmed the underwhelming Bell nearly five years ago.

However, Zbikowski will battle an opponent to be determined below 200 pounds in the cruiserweight division next week.

Former Irish coach Charlie Weis once called the native of Illinois “all day tough.”

In all likelihood, the owners and players will ultimately come to an agreement that will allow a 2011 season to occur.

Nevertheless, in the meantime, Zbikowski has all the tools to become a legitimate force as a cruiserweight with proper training.

“I’d like to see Zbikowski fight Ray Lewis,” said Brad Sherwood, 30, a resident of South Boston who is employed as a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in Medford. “In the streets, Lewis wins easily. In a ring with rules, I take Tommy Z!”

Zbikowski is not a bearded woman who will further stamp boxing as a joke.

Zbikowski is “all day tough” and current cruiserweights better hope “Tommy Z” is soon removed from the ring and again placed on a gridiron.